Accidentally revealed: US to charge Assange

WASHINGTON: The US has accidentally revealed that preparations are underway to indict WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a development that could have a bearing on the Russian meddling probe.

It’s not clear yet if Assange has been charged already and with what. He has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012 to evade an arrest warrant from Swedish authorities in an alleged rape case.

His possible indictment by the US government was revealed accidentally in court filings in an unrelated case in which prosecutors sought the case to remain under seal. The language appeared to have been lifted from a standard request, with Assange’s name on it.

The unrelated case remained under seal. Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia wrote in the filing in August, “Due to the sophistication of the defendant, no other procedure is likely to keep confidential the fact that Assange has been charged.”

“The court filing was made in error,” a spokesman for the US attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia said.

The filing was posted online by an expert on terrorism on Thursday evening shortly after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department was prepared to charge Assange.

Assange hasn’t been on good terms with his host lately. He recently sued the Ecuadorean embassy where he is sheltered over the lack of access to the internet, visitors and his cat.